Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-111). Also available on the Internet.

Transfer and shedding of a rifampicin-resistant strain of Escherichia coli (RREC) among cattle was studied in a research feedlot comprised of 30 pens of 11 or 12 yearling steers. On 3 separate occasions, 9,6 and 6 of the 12 steers in 3 different peripheral pens in the lot were orally inoculated with 1011 cells of an unmodified RREC isolate from bovine feces. Fecal swabs were preformed on all 360 steers in the feedlot immediately prior to and at approximately 5-week intervals thereafter. Following inoculation, fecal grab samples were collected daily from all 12 pen mates for up to 4 months. In all 3 trials, the inoculated steers each shed RREC within 24 h of inoculation. All 12 steers in each inoculated pen were positive for RREC within 48 h; all 36 steers shed RREC intermittently throughout the three sampling periods. Transfer to 4 steers in an adjacent pen was confirmed only during the first trial (3 steers shed once each on day 8, day 26 or day 40; the fourth shed on 6 occasions between days 8 and 40). Transfer to non-adjacent pens was not detected during any of the 3 trials. All recovered RREC isolates were compared to the inocula using LMX agar and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. Additionally, select recovered isolates were subjected to carbon source utilization tests. The three inocula were further subjected to 16S rRNA sequence analysis, minimum inhibitory antibiotic concentration profiles and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and were determined to be the same strain. It was observed with the exception of the pen floor, that the resistant strain did not move through the animal feedlot environment, as easily or pervasively as other studies suggested. The RREC did not persist in the feedlot environment beyond the 4-month trial period. Fecal contamination form the pen floor, animal-to-animal contact and the chute system may have facilitated transfer of the resistant strain between animals. Animal stress may have facilitated the pen-to-pen transfer observed during trial 1, as the inoculation was conducted within 1 week of the steers' arrival in the feedlot. / xii, 102 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-160). / Microfiche. / xvii, 160 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D., Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry)--University of Idaho, November 2006. / Major professor: Carloyn H. Bohach. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-116).

Thesis (Ph. D., Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry)--University of Idaho, August 2009. / Major professor: Carolyn H. Bohach. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 180 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Washington State University, December 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-76).

The prevalence and antibiotic resistant profiles of shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli 0157 strains isolated from faeces samples of cattle, pigs and human stool samples were determined. The strains were further characterised by molecular methods for the presence of shiga-toxin virulence genes and antibiotic resistant genes. Seventy-six Escherichia coli 0157 strains were isolated and the prevalence was higher among E. coli isolated from faeces from pigs (44.2% to 50%) than those from cattle faeces (5.4% to 20.0%) or human stool samples (7 .5%). On testing E. coli 0157 isolates for their resistance to 9 antimicrobial agents, multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) was observed in all of the isolates arising from resistance to three or more antibiotics. Seventy (92.1 %) of the E. coli 0157 isolated from humans, cattle and pigs were resistant to tetracycline. 73 (96.1 %) were resistant to sulphamethoxazole, 63 (82.9%) were resistant to erythromycin. 40 (52.6%) were resistant to streptomycin and 26 (34.2%) were resistant to ampicillin. The highest frequency of resistance was observed among the human isolates (n=3 ), where 3 (I 00%) of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, sulphamethoxazole, erythromycin and ampicillin. Furthermore, among the pig isolates (n=60), 58 (96. 7%) were resistant to tetracycline, 57 (95%) were resistant to sulphamethoxazole, 47 (78.3%) were resistant to erythromycin. 38 (63.3%) were resistant to streptomycin and 22 (36. 7%) were resistant to ampicillin. The MAR phenotypes S-Smx-T-E, Smx-T-Ap and Smx-T-E were the dorminant phenotypes among the E. coli 0157 isolated from the faeces samples of communal pigs in 30.4%, 21 .7% and 17.4% of these isolates, respectively. However, phenotypes Smx-T -E and S-Smx-T-E-Ne were identified at I6.2% and 10.8%, respectively within the isolates obtained from commercial pig faeces. The phenotype Smx-T-E was the only MAR phenotype identified among the E. coli 0157 isolated from the faecal samples of commercial cattle at Lichtenburg. Furthermore, MAR phenotypes Smx-T-E-C, K-S-Smx-T-E, S-Smx-T-E and Smx-T-E-Ap were obtained at 25%, respectively for the isolates obtained from communal cattle at Mogosane while Smx-T-E-Ap was the dorminant (66.7%) phenotype among the isolates of human origin. The phenotype Smx-T fom1ed the basis of all the MAR phenotypes obtained and this was similar to the percentage antibiotic resistance data. The distribution of the resistant determinants for tetracycline was determined by PCR analysis in resistant isolates. A tetB gene was detected in E. coli 0157 of pig origin. Based on the characterisation of 30 isolates for the presence of STEC virulence genes by PCR, 18 (60%) possessed the hlyA gene, 7 (23.7%) possessed the eae gene and 5 ( 16. 7%,) harboured both genes. The average MAR indices for pig, cattle and human E. coli 0157 isolates were 0.4n2, 0.3419 and 0.4814, respectively. Among the cattle isolates, the group MAR index was highest for the communal (Mogosane) population while the values for the commercial populations at Lichtenburg and Rustenburg were 0.33 and 0.22, respectively. £. coli 0157 isolated from pigs revealed MAR index results that were 0.508 and 0.415 for the commercial and communal populations respectively and 0.1851 for the E. coli control strains. Characterisation by cluster analysis to determine the commonness and resolve differences between the E. coli 0157 isolated from the Various sources revealed a close association between pig (Tlapeng and Mareetsane), cattle (Mogosane) and human isolates. Interestingly, E. coli 0157 isolated from pigs occurred at the highest frequency in all the clusters. which suggested their role in the dissemination of resistant determinants. / MSc. (Agric.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

Thesis (MSc (Paraclinical Sciences, Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.